For the Angels to achieve their goal of reaching the playoffs they have to take care of their own business first. And Manager Mike Scioscia has been unwavering in stressing that.
But they also need some help, which is why all the TVs in the visitors' clubhouse in Toronto were tuned to the Yankee-Rays game Wednesday. Tampa Bay started the day 1 1/2 games in front of the Angels in the wild-card race so the Yankees' 4-2 win was welcomed by the Angels.
The Angels will need a lot more assistance than that over the next week, however. Entering Wednesday's game against Toronto the Angels trailed Texas in the American League West by five games with eight remaining. Boston leads the Angels in the wild-card race by 3 1/2 with Tampa in between the two.
Dan Haren (15-9) gets the start for the Angels in this one. He's 3-3 in his last eight starts and was pounded for seven runs on seven hits in five-plus innings his last time out in Baltimore.
The main change in the Angels' lineup has Maicer Izturis starting at second base in place of Howie Kendrick, who is hitting .281 on the road trip. Scioscia said he liked the match-up better against Toronto starter Dustin McGowan although it's difficult to say what he liked: Kendrick is 0 for 6 lifetime against the right-hander while the switch-hitting Izturis, who will bat leadoff, is 2 for 13.
The lineups:
Angels
2B -- Maicer Izturis
SS -- Erick Aybar
DH -- Bobby Abreu
RF -- Torii Hunter
1B -- Mark Trumbo
3B -- Alberto Callaspo
LF -- Vernon Wells
CF -- Peter Bourjos
C -- Jeff Mathis
P -- Dan Haren
Toronto Blue Jays
SS -- Mike McCoy
LF -- Eric Thames
RF -- Jose Bautista
1B -- Adam Lind
3B -- Edwin Encarnacion
2B -- Kelly Johnson
C -- J.P. Arencibia
CF -- Colby Rasmus
DH -- David Cooper
P -- Dustin McGowan
-- Kevin Baxter in Toronto
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